The OWASP Software Assurance Maturity Model (SAMM) is a framework to help organizations formulate and implement a strategy for software security that is tailored to the specific risks facing the organization. SAMM is structured around five business functions, each containing three security practices. These practices are further divided into maturity levels, providing a clear path for improvement.

SAMM is divided into five primary domains, each representing a critical aspect of software security:

1. Governance
2. Design
3. Implementation
4. Verification
5. Operations

Each domain is further broken down into three security practices, making a total of 15 security practices. Below is a detailed look at each domain and its associated practices.

• Objective: Establish a security strategy aligned with business goals and measure its effectiveness.
• Key Activities:
  • Define security objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs).
  • Develop a security roadmap.
  • Regularly review and update the strategy.

• Objective: Ensure adherence to security policies and regulatory requirements.
• Key Activities:
  • Develop and maintain security policies.
  • Conduct compliance audits.
  • Implement a policy management system.

• Objective: Provide security training and resources to stakeholders.
• Key Activities:
  • Develop training programs for developers, testers, and managers.
  • Create and distribute security guidelines and best practices.
  • Conduct regular security awareness sessions.

• Objective: Identify and evaluate potential security threats.
• Key Activities:
  • Conduct threat modeling sessions.
  • Document and prioritize threats.
  • Integrate threat assessment into the design process.

• Objective: Define and document security requirements for software projects.
• Key Activities:
  • Identify security requirements based on threat assessments.
  • Ensure requirements are included in project documentation.
  • Review and update requirements regularly.

• Objective: Design software architectures that incorporate security principles.
• Key Activities:
  • Develop secure design patterns.
  • Conduct architecture reviews.
  • Use security frameworks and libraries.

• Objective: Ensure that the software build process incorporates security controls.
• Key Activities:
  • Implement secure coding practices.
  • Use automated tools to check for vulnerabilities.
  • Maintain a secure build environment.

• Objective: Deploy software securely to production environments.
• Key Activities:
  • Use secure deployment pipelines.
  • Conduct pre-deployment security checks.
  • Monitor deployment processes for security issues.

• Objective: Identify, track, and remediate security defects.
• Key Activities:
  • Use a defect tracking system.
  • Prioritize and fix security defects.
  • Conduct root cause analysis for recurring issues.

• Objective: Perform security testing to identify vulnerabilities.
• Key Activities:
  • Conduct static and dynamic analysis.
  • Perform penetration testing.
  • Use automated testing tools.

• Objective: Review code and configurations for security issues.
• Key Activities:
  • Conduct code reviews.
  • Review configuration files.
  • Use peer reviews and automated tools.

• Objective: Measure and report on security testing and review activities.
• Key Activities:
  • Define security metrics.
  • Collect and analyze data.
  • Report findings to stakeholders.

• Objective: Respond to and manage security incidents effectively.
• Key Activities:
  • Develop an incident response plan.
  • Conduct incident response training.
  • Perform post-incident analysis.

• Objective: Secure the operational environment.
• Key Activities:
  • Implement environment hardening.
  • Monitor for security breaches.
  • Maintain secure configurations.

• Objective: Continuously monitor for security threats and vulnerabilities.
• Key Activities:
  • Use security information and event management (SIEM) tools.
  • Conduct regular security audits.
  • Implement intrusion detection systems (IDS).

Understanding the SAMM domains and their associated security practices is crucial for developing a comprehensive software security strategy. Each domain addresses a specific aspect of software security, providing a structured approach to improving security maturity. By systematically implementing these practices, organizations can enhance their security posture and better protect their software assets.

In the next module, we will delve deeper into the maturity assessment process, which helps organizations evaluate their current security practices and identify areas for improvement.